Electric gas-lighting apparatus



No Model.)

A. M. SLOSS. BLEGTBIO GAS LIGHTING APPARATUS.

No. 489,616. Patented Jan. 10, 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

AARON M. SLOSS, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

ELECTRIC GAS-LIGHTING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 489,616, dated January10, 1893.

Application filed March 24, 1892.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AARON M. SLOSS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ElectricGas-Lighting Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of apparatus which makes use of anelectric spark, derived from an inductive or spark-coil, which has beenmomentarily excited by a voltaic battery or other generator ofelectricity, to ignite gas-burners or lamps, by merely pulling a cordorlike device attached to the burner or lamp, which serves to close theelectric circuit through the coil and to produce the spark, byself-inductive action, upon the interruption of the circuit. Heretoforeit has been usual to employ for such purposes a single inductor orspark-coil, with its exciting battery, which have often been placed insome remote and inconvenient part in the building. Insulated wires havebeen extended therefrom throughout the whole building, having separatebranches to each and every gasburner or lamp, so that the closing of thecircuit of this battery at any burner would cause a spark to beprojected from the coil through the system of wires to the point wherethe circuit had been closed. There are many objections in practice tothis plan. The running of the number of wires required for a longdistance is expensive and inconvenient, especially in case the systemhas to beintroduced into an existing building, while the occurrence of afault in any of the numerous ramifications of the electric circuits isliable to completely disable the whole system.

The object of my invention is to avoid these inconveniences, by theestablishment of alocalized apparatus,in connection with each separateburner orgroup of burners or lamps, thus minimizing the amount of wireto be run, and confining the effects of any fault which may occur to theparticular locality in which it originates. To this end I employ aseparate battery and spark-coil preferably for each fixture or group offixtures having a common supply pipe, and I arrange these compactlywithin a suitable case, which is so con- Serial No. 426,235. (No model.)

V structed that it may be affixed to and supported by the fixture orlamp which it is designed to operate. This case forms an inconspicnousand unobj ectionahle accessory to the fixture, and at the same timepermits of convenient access being had when required, to the battery,spark-coil and electrical wires and connections.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation partlyin section,showing a gasfixture, lamp or chandelier, to which my improvement hasbeen attached; Fig. 2 is a de tail view, showing in elevation a portionof the case containing the battery and sparkcoil; Fig. 3 is a horizontaltransverse section, and Fig. 4 is an elevation of another form of caseadapted to be attached to the supply pipe of the fixture, the case beingshown open to admit of access to the interior.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, A is the supplypipe of a fixture, lamp orchandelier, here shown as depending from the ceiling, and B B are twobranches thereof extending in opposite directions and terminating intips or burners b b of the usual construction.

0 is a cylindrical metal case, made in two parts 0 c the upper part 0being ordinarily permanently attached to the fixture, and the lower part0 being made detachable in any convenient manner, as for example in Fig.2, in which the parts are shown as united by a bayonet joint.

Inclosed within the case O, and preferably affixed to its removable partC, is a small cell of voltaic battery E. The battery may with advantagebe of the type known as the dry battery which, as well as thespark-coil, may be made of very small dimensions so that the latter mayalso be placed in the same case. When the part 0 with the coil andbattery is placed in position, a metallic stud upon the spark-coiltouches the contact-spring p which is in metallic connection through thecase C with the supply pipe A and its branches and tips. A similarcontact-stud upon the battery E. touches the other circuit-spring nwhich is insulated as shown, and forms the terminal of an insulated wirerunning to the circuit closer q of each burner, such wire beingpreferably carried through the interior of the tube. The circuit closersq q are operated in the usual well-known manner, by pendants r r orother equivalent means. When a pondant r is drawn down, thecircuit-closer q is momentarily brought in contact with the tip of theburner 11, and the circuit of battery E is closed through the spark-coilS. Upon breaking the circuit between (1 and b, a spark is projected fromthe coil S which serves to light the gas at the burner.

The arrangement shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is the same in principle as thatfirst described but somewhat diiterent in construction. The case 0 ishere shown as vertically separated into two semi-cylindrical parts,hinged to each other and inclosing the battery and sparkcoil. It isdesirable that when the case 0 is of metal, this division should bevertical, or parallel to the axis of the inclosed spark-coil, as theinduced currents which tend to oppose the normal action of the coil, andwhich are set up in the walls of the case, are thereby interrupted. Thecase is made to surround the supply pipe A and may be wholly detachedtherefrom if occasion requires.

Either of the forms of apparatus shown may readily be attached toordinary gas-fixtures chandeliers, brackets or lamps which have alreadybeen put in place.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a gas-fixture or lamp of a battery, aspark-coil, and a detachable case containing said battery and sparkcoil, formed in two parts and surrounding the main supply pipe of saidfixture or lamp, sub stantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a gas-fixture or lamp, of a battery, aspark-coil, and a case containing said battery and spark-coil, whichineloses the junction of the main supply-pipe with the branchessupplying the several burners, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a gas-fixture or lamp, of a battery a sparkcoil, a case containing said battery and spark-coil and supported bysaid fixture or lamp, which case is formed in two parts, one separablefrom the other, and insulated contact-springs forming the terminals ofWires leading to the burners or groups of burners, which areautomatically brought into connection with the terminals of the batteryand spark-coil by the closing of the case, substantially as set forth.

4:. The combination with a gas-fixture or lamp, of a battery andspark-coil for electrically lighting the same, and an outer casingaffixed to, and surrounding the supply-pipe of said fixture, so as toinclose said battery and spark-coil between said pipe and easingsubstantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 21st day ofMarch, A. D. 1892.

AARON M. SLOSS.

Witnesses:

ANTHONY GREF, FRANKLIN L. Porn.

